Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka and is a spice that was used as far back as 2800 BC. The signature smell is one that often evokes warm, cosy feelings in most, but the history of cinnamon is filled with war, extortion and mythology.
During the Middle Ages, cinnamon was used as a medicine to relieve coughs, colds and sore throats. This was a practice made popular by the Chinese, who in ancient times would use the spice for its healing abilities. For a time, the origin of cinnamon was a complete mystery, and people believed that the way to obtain it was through birds. Legend told of birds who would carry cinnamon sticks from an unknown land to build their nests, where Arabs would then trick them in order to acquire the sticks. This led to the creation of the mythological creature known as the cinnamon bird. Another story was that cinnamon could only be found at the bottom of deep canyons, where it was guarded by vicious snakes.